8 | democratic party, woodrow wilson and new freedom 1896-1917 Flashcards
(25 cards)
Splits in democrat party
Badly damaged by the divisions that tore it apart in the 1890s. The challenge of the populists as a a separate party has faded but rival wings of the party has little in common. The Republican Party was backed by big business and buoyed by a booming economy and was set to dominate further. However, Wilson rose from 1910 and the Republican Party became divided so the democrats began to gather momentum
Problems of the Democratic Party
1896 election revealed their strengths and weaknesses. Bryan was a major political figure but he divided opinion and his central theme this year of free silver, alienated voters in the north east and enthused voters in south and Great Plains. Republicans were benefitting dim improved economy and victory in the war against Spain. Divisions were exposed in 1904, as Bryan and Cleveland both faced opposition within the party. The man who was nominated, Parker, was little known so Roosevelt won easily.
Failures of the democrats
1908, democrats turned to Bryan again. He had adopted more moderate, progressive views, no longer campaigning for free silver and trying to appeal to conservative pro business democrats, as well as his support from south and west. But he lost again, didn’t win a single state north east.
Revival of the democrats
From 1910, there was a revival in the fortunes of the Democratic Party. Partly due to the cracks forming in the Republican political machine. Taft had alienated progressive republicans and Roosevelt by his shift to conservative policies and by appointing conservatives in government posts. In the mid term elections of 1910, democrats won the control of House of Representatives. Made many democrats optimistic about the chance of winning in 1912.
Why are mid terms important?
They can show political trends and can affect the authority of the president.
Who was Woodrow Wilson?
Political outsider. Southerner, pacifist and progressive idealist. Distinguished academic career as a university lecturer and the author of books on public administration and constitutional government. 1902-1910 - President of Princeton University in New Jersey. Gained him a high reputation for administrative ability and a high moral standing. In 1910, leading democrats in New Jersey pushed him to run for governor. His term here catapulted him into national prominence. Programme of reforms and gained respect for his decisive leadership. Clear in 1911 he’d run for president.
1912 election
Turning point, market the democrats recovery and the growing strength of progressivism. Roosevelt failed to win nomination for his party so he was willing to split the party by taking over the National Progressive Party to challenge Taft.
Wilson also pushed a progressive agenda but he was a unifier and was able to attack Taft and the republicans as the party of big business and high tariffs.
Results of 1912 election
Taft was overshadowed by the rival progressive candidates, Wilson and Roosevelt. It was obvious before the day he’d finish third, with 3.5 million votes. But Roosevelt’s third party candidate wasn’t enough. There was also the socialist Eugene Debs competing, who won over 900,000 votes, double from when he ran in 1904 and 1908, highlighting how difficult it was for democrats to win support from industrial workers.
Wilson - 6.3 mil. Roosevelt - 4.1mil.
Eugene Debs
Railroad worker and trade union activist. Founder of the American Railway Union and the International Workers of the World. Led the Great Northern Strike 1893 and Pullman Strike 1894, and he was jailed for 6 months after. Left the democrats and ran for president as a socialist. Send to prison in 1918 because of his opposition to WW1
Rise of socialism
Expansion of industrial economy. Workers organised into trade unions and strikes became frequent like the Pullman Strike. Many workers were immigrants influenced by socialist ideas from Europe. Socialism was a potentially powerful force but was divided. Political socialism (eugene debs) - demanded radical changes to the whole social and economic system. Moderate (TU leaders like Gompers) - ready to collaborate with business as long as the jobs and wages were safeguarded.
Remained an important force and consistently gained support in elections. Trade unions were influential and gained strength in WW1. Never became a united political movement
Wilson - untraditional politician
At his inauguration in 1913’ he was an unknown quantity. Little experience in politics apart from being a governor. His reputation was an academic of high moral standing who was often stubborn as university president. Son and grandson of church ministers so many speeches and policies were based on religious principles. The tendency to moralise became strong throughout his presidency, sometimes a strength sometimes a weakness.
However traditional as he relied on the solid south’s support and was a Southerner. His high moral principles didn’t extend as far as campaigning for racial equality. Mended forces with Bryan, and gave him a position of Secretary of State.
New Freedom
Wilson termed his programme of reforms the New Freedom. His progressive ideology was different in emphasis from Roosevelt’s, Wilson believed in a return to freedom for small businesses and open competition instead of domination by big corporate cartels. The new freedom consisted of campaign speeches and promises in his campaign.
New freedom - demand for tariff reform
Depicted Republican conservatives as addicts of high protective tariffs. After a long battle with opponents in the House and Senate in 1913, he forced the Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act, slashing tariff rates by up to 20%, reducing many duties and freed certain items from them entirely like food, wool, iron, steel, could be produced cheaper in US. Also imposed a new income tax to compensate for lost tariff revenues - Revenue Act 1916 continued the plan of taxing the rich and redistributing.
New freedom - reform banking and currency
Major banking and currency reform with the Federal Reserve Act 1913, establishing a strong central bank which was under public regulation and control. Maintained a balance of big business’ needs and those of the wider community. All national banks were compelled to join, by investing 6% of their capital and surplus, one of the 12 regional federal reserve banks, which were supervised by the Federal Reserve Board. Supply of money was no longer dependent on gold, economic stability.
This system gave a focus to monetary policy and provided protection against panics.
Federal trade commission
- To inspect and regulate corporate business methods and to prevent unfair practices.
Clayton Antitrust Act
Same time as FTC. Passed to extend the powers of the Sherman antitrust act. Made certain business practices illegal like price discrimination to foster monopolies. Wilson’s administration enforced this energetically, launching nearly 100 anti trust cases against big business.
Wilson protecting workers rights
Got the backing of American Federation League by preventing strikes, boycotts and peaceful picketing from being declared illegal
1916- Adamson Act brought in an 8 hour day for railroad workers
1916- Workmen’s Compensation Act provided insurance for workers against injuries
Federal Highway Act gave money to help with highway construction
1916- Federal Farm Loan Act provided low cost loans to farmers, long term so they could expand production at a time of increased demand due to war
1916- Federal Child Labor Act dealt with 2mil under 16 working and deprived of education but was unconstitutional after 2 years
Amendments under Wilson
1913- sixteenth amendment gave Congress powers to impose income tax
Seventeenth amendment made it compulsory for all states to elect Senators by direct popular vote
1919- eighteenth amendment enforced prohibition
1920- nineteenth amendment secured women’s voting rights
Divisions within the US
Exposed by Wilson’s progressive reforms and by the impact od the war over there in Europe. These divisions were revealed in attitudes towards mass immigration,moral standards in society, position of African Americans, industrial relations and attitudes towards US involvement in war.
Immigrant divisions
The war interrupted the flow of immigrants and focused attention on the failure of integration of the immigrant communities. Obvious potential problems of divided loyalties like between Germans and Irish and Russians. Trade union losers like Gompers had always tended to oppose unrestricted immigration to avoid jobs and wages being undercut, and now these pressures were intensified
Prohibition division
Progressivism contained a strong moral element as shown in the campaign for prohibition. These moral issues spilled over into political and economic tensions. Political opposition to US support for the allies was influenced by pacifists and women leaders like Jane Addams.
Migration of African Americans
From 1910, there were the beginnings of the great northward migration of African Americans from south to urban centres in north. Many found jobs and joined unions but there was a political and economic backlash, with racial tensions between white and black workers, and KKK revival as a political force from 1915.
Wilson and political opposition
Republican Party revived after the disaster of 1912. Made gains in the 1914 mid terms and some of wilson’s supporters were disappointed with the slackening of the pace of reforms and with his increased willingness to compromise with businesses. Also attacks on him for his military interventions in Mexico. By the time of the election in November 1916, powerful forces in society and politics were pulling towards closer and closer economic links with allies. Yet equally powerful forces pulled towards isolationism and neutrality.
1916 election
Wilson faced a strong candidate of Hughes, who was a capable leader of a united party. Wilson fought the campaign of ‘he kept us out of the war’, and with his reform legislation, he may have expected to win easily. But, it was close as Wilson got 9.1 million and Hughes got 8.5million. Wilson won California by less than 4000, and without it he would have lost
